Ethan Trex
How 13 Dog Breeds Got Their Names
by Ethan Trex - August 17, 2010 - 8:51 AM

Every dog owner knows why they gave their dog its name, but how well do you know the story behind their breed names? Let’s take a look at where a handful of common breeds found their monikers.

1. Jack Russell Terrier

Yep, Jack Russell was a real guy. John Russell was born in Dartmouth, England in 1795, and over the years he became quite a hunting enthusiast. While he was studying to become a clergyman at Oxford, he met a milkman who had a white terrier bitch named Trump who seemed to be the perfect dog for fox hunting. After convincing the milkman to sell him the dog, Russell began breeding Trump to develop a line of terriers with the stamina to hunt foxes all day and the courage to go after game that had slipped into holes.

Russell actually has two dogs named after him. We’re all familiar with the Jack Russell terrier, but the Parson Russell terrier, a similar breed with longer legs, also takes its name from Russell and is recognized as a separate breed.

2. Lhasa Apso

The little dog’s name sounds funny, but its origins are pretty straightforward. The Lhasa Apso was originally bred as a watchdog for Tibetan palaces and monasteries; it was hard for an intruder to sneak in past the watchful, yipping pooches. The “Lhasa” in the name comes from the city of Lhasa, Tibet’s longtime capital. Apso is a Tibetan word meaning “bearded,” so the breed’s name signifies that it’s a longhaired dog that originated in Tibet.

3. Basset Hound

The lovable big-eared hounds don’t get their name from a person named Basset. Rather, “Basset” comes from the French word bas for “low” and refers to the dogs’ low-slung statures.

4. Cairn Terrier

These feisty little terriers originated in the Scottish Highlands, where they were renowned for their abilities as hunters of rats and other small prey like rabbits. The dogs were particularly adept at hunting in the cairns, manmade piles of stones that dot the region as navigational markers. Thus, the breed became known as the Cairn terrier.

5. Dalmatian

The spotted breed takes its name from Dalmatia, an Adriatic region that lies mostly within modern-day Croatia. Dalmatians have long been used as sentinels and guard dogs in the region, but it’s not entirely clear that they originated there. Paintings and writings show Dalmatian-like dogs in various regions of Europe as far back as the 14th century, and the dogs have been used in Dalmatia since at least the 18th century. Since the dog was most commonly associated with the region, it became widely known as the Dalmatian.

6. Labrador Retriever

You guessed it: labs originated in the region of Canada that’s now the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. Oddly, they actually came from Newfoundland, though. Fishermen perfected a breed they called the St. John’s water dog, which were prodigious swimmers who would hit the water and haul fishing nets back to shore. In the early 19th century the Earl of Malmesbury began bringing these hard-working dogs to his English estate and training them to retrieve the ducks he hunted. The Earl referred to his pack of pooches as his “Labrador dogs” in a confused reference to their home region, and the name stuck as their popularity grew.

7. Poodle

The poodle may be thought of as a fancy, snooty dog today, but it actually had fairly rough-and-tumble origins as a gun dog. Their name reflects their early work as retrievers who would swim out after fallen waterfowl. Pudeln was a Low German word that meant “to splash,” so these brave retrievers were known as pudelhund, or “water dogs.” The word eventually evolved into the English “poodle.”

8. Weimaraner

The beautiful grey dogs with the expressive eyes have probably only been around since the 19th century. According to tradition, that’s when Grand Duke Karl August of Weimar began to selectively breed hunting dogs that were fast, had strong noses, wouldn’t back down from large game like wolves or wildcats, and were smart. Karl August’s breed allegedly became fashionable among his fellow Weimar noblemen, and the breed gained popularity as a bird-hunting dog as well. [Thanks to Michael Surtees of Design Noted for letting us use Madison's picture.]

9. Cocker Spaniel

Spaniels have been around as far back as the 14th century, and these popular pets also got their starts as gun dogs. English hunters prized the dogs’ particularly skilled tracking of woodcocks, so the dogs became known as “cockers.”

10. Bouvier des Flandres

This herding dog’s name is pretty straightforward if you know a bit of French. The breed originated in Flanders, and French farmers who prized their working spirits named the Bouvier des Flandres, which translates into “Cow herder of Flanders.”

11. Cavalier King Charles Spaniel

This spaniel takes its name from King Charles II of Britain, who was often depicted in paintings and tapestries in the company of a small spaniel and was reportedly “seldom seen without his little dogs.”

12. Dachshund

The dachshund is another breed with an unexpectedly ferocious origin. When the breed was first created in the early 17th century, hunters were attempting to create a fearless, elongated dog that could dig its way into a badger’s hole and do battle with the tenacious little mammals. Their name reflects this early purpose; “dachshund” means “badger dog” in German.

13. Beagle

The exact origins of the word “beagle” are a bit mysterious, but anybody who has spent much time with the breed will believe the most commonly accepted story. The American Kennel Club traces the name back to the 16th century, when the hounds became associated with the French word becguele (“noisy person”) thanks to the din of their howls during hunts.

More from mental_floss…

6 Amazing Animals That Practically Lived Forever
*
5 Doctor Who Stories Ripped From the Headlines
*
How Mister Rogers Saved the VCR
*
19 Outstanding Words You Should Be Working Into Conversation
*
10 Facebook Status Updates Gone Horribly Wrong

twitterbanner.jpg

« Previous Post   -   Next Post »
Click here to get a Risk-Free issue of mental_floss magazine
Comments (43)

  1. Chihuahuas get their name from the land of their ancestors- Chihuahua, Mexico.

    posted by Sara in Al on 8-17-2010 at 11:27 am

  2. Austrailian Shepards, although originally bred in the western US, get their name from, 1. being Shepards and 2. the A-U in Australia sounding so much like the A-W-E in awesome….which of course they are.

    WIGGLEBUTTS FOREVER!

    posted by TXCherokee on 8-17-2010 at 11:45 am

  3. My Lhasa Apso is going to be so happy to learn the origin of his name! ;)

    posted by vegebrarian on 8-17-2010 at 1:27 pm

  4. I like to think that one of these days the origin of the coolest mutt ever, the Labradorgi will be discussed. It is of course, a black lab + corgi, and mine is scientifically proven to be totally awesome.

    posted by A on 8-17-2010 at 2:19 pm

  5. The spaniel gets its name from its origin, Spain, which gets its name from the Carthiginian word for rabbit, span. So the spaniel is the rabbit dog from Rabbit Land.

    posted by Saul Mine on 8-17-2010 at 2:21 pm

  6. A shout out to the Schnauzer, named from the German word ‘Schnauze’ meaning snout because of their distinctive bearded snout. They are also totally AWEsome!!

    posted by Tricia on 8-17-2010 at 2:33 pm

  7. I have a huge problem with all these new Mutt breeds (Labradoodles, Cockapoos, etc). How about coming up with a bunch of new names for these dogs and not trying to be so cutesy. Seriously, A, how much of an arse do you sound like when you tell everybody you have a Labradorgi? I have to say, it sounds more like a new pasta dish than a dog breed.

    posted by IFB on 8-17-2010 at 2:53 pm

  8. @IFB, at least the haven’t bred bulldogs with shih tzu.
    What about breeding a schnauzer with a cocker spaniel – then you’d have a schnocker.

    posted by hockeyzombie on 8-17-2010 at 3:04 pm

  9. I second what TXCherokee said.

    posted by Ben on 8-17-2010 at 3:51 pm

  10. Every breed of dog I’ve ever had is on this list. That makes me happy.

    posted by Patten on 8-17-2010 at 3:53 pm

  11. IFB: My dog is 100% mutt from the humane society, NOT a “designer dog” I bought with a cutesy name. My husband and I made up the moniker as a tongue-in-cheek response to the 600 people a day that ask us what breed our dog is because he looks so ridiculous with his athletic Labrador body on tiny Corgi legs.
    So no, I don’t feel like any more of an ass than you must when you use the unnecessary word “arse.”

    posted by A on 8-17-2010 at 4:48 pm

  12. What about the Rhodesian Ridgeback? That’s a cool dog.

    posted by Karyn on 8-17-2010 at 4:54 pm

  13. Newfoundland and Labrador were just Newfoundland when the province was founded. Recently the two were officially named Province of Newfoundland and Labrador. Then there’s the Newfoundland and the Labrador breeds(which are both from Newfoundland, but can be found in Labrador.) Yukon mix these breeds but some dogs will have Nunavut. O Canada!

    posted by Ken on 8-17-2010 at 5:22 pm

  14. I love my badger hound….

    posted by old hippy chick on 8-17-2010 at 9:10 pm

  15. The word Pomeranian denotes the region of country, Pomerania, where the present day Pomeranian was breed down to almost it’s present size. They are a sized down Spitz, or Alaskan Sled Dog. Also, French Bulldogs were not originated in France. They were brought to France to be a lap pet by the seamstresses who came from Belgium to embroider lace, I believe, and the dog got popular in France so became known as a “French” Bulldog. Lhasas were actually a herding breed, not a guard dog. The Shih-Tzu was developed from the Lhasa and the Pekingese and THEY were guard dogs. You kind of got it right.

    posted by MD Hill on 8-17-2010 at 9:41 pm

  16. My father likes to sing that annoying “Badger badger badger” song to my dachshund.

    posted by Lynnie on 8-17-2010 at 10:15 pm

  17. I was throwing a party in the backyard of my brother-in-law, who has a dachshund. One of my pieces of “decoration” was a taxidermied European badger (very long story, don’t ask). That dog never hunted anything in her life more ferocious than gym socks and pizza crusts, but one look at the badger and she started growling and snapping with atavistic fervour. It KNEW that thing was the Enemy!

    posted by VM on 8-17-2010 at 11:58 pm

  18. Rhodesian is a place (i Think, people might want to correct this)
    and
    Ridgeback is the hair on the dogs spine that goes against the grain a.k.a. forward

    posted by J on 8-18-2010 at 3:03 am

  19. @A
    You have a mutt. Live with it.

    posted by IFB on 8-18-2010 at 7:11 am

  20. HAHA Hockeyzombie. Good one.
    As for the Rhodesian Ridgeback Karyn, I’d have to agree that they’re great. My ex-father-in-law had one and it was the gentlest and most even tempered dog I have ever met. Unfortunately it thought it was a lap dog which caused some minor injuries to those around him :)

    posted by SeanP on 8-18-2010 at 7:19 am

  21. Many people do not understand why the German Shepherd is officially known as the German Shepherd Dog. The name is a translation from its name in Germany: Deutscher Schäferhund which means the German Shepherd’s Dog (note the apostrophe) as in the “German Shepherd” is a guy and this is his dog.

    The meaning of Shepherd has changed as originally it meant the person who controlled the flocks (with the help of the dog) but later it started to also refer to the dog which is why the Australian Shepherd is not the Australian Shepherd Dog.

    The Australian Shepherd is a case of a breed who’s origin name makes little sense. The breed was completely developed in the western US and the only connection with Australia is that they were used to herd sheep that were imported from Australia.

    posted by chrisj on 8-18-2010 at 8:59 am

  22. The trouble with some dog breed names is when they use archaic terms – for example the Rough and Smooth Collies.

    I have Smooth Collies and when walking them out in public, people often pet them and ask what they are. The “Smooth” part often confuses people (Smooth as in no bumps? uniform consistency? ingratiatingly suave?)and I have to give the quick explanation that in this case, smooth means short hair.

    The majority of people know the Rough (long haired) Collie as just the Collie (or Lassie Collie or just “Laaaaassssiiieee!”). A friend has Rough Collies and twice people have been puzzled by the “Rough” part of the name. One person asked if “Rough” meant her dog was a early version of the collie (rough as in rough draft) and another asked if rough referred to her dog’s disposition.

    posted by chrisj on 8-18-2010 at 9:24 am

  23. The pug is the BEST. DOG. EVER. The end.

    posted by Gemini on 8-18-2010 at 9:26 am

  24. Great post. Thanks!

    Is anyone annoyed when someone pronounces “Lhasa Apso” as “lasso apso”?

    And not that anyone asked, but the proper pronunciation of “Shih Tzu” is “SHER-zuh”, not “SH/T-zoo”.

    TBV

    posted by TBV on 8-18-2010 at 9:56 am

  25. What’s the origin of the Boxer?
    The Mastiff?
    Collie?

    posted by Steyr on 8-18-2010 at 10:05 am

  26. I have a schnauzer x West Highland terrier. Best cross-breed ever.

    He’s a Wauzer :D

    posted by Manda on 8-18-2010 at 11:02 am

  27. IFB said “Seriously, A, how much of an arse do you sound like when you tell everybody you have a Labradorgi?”

    I think it would be pretty hard to sound more of an ass than IFB. JMO mind, but probably the same as most people here :)

    posted by Gem on 8-18-2010 at 7:05 pm

  28. I thought “beagle” came from a French word meaning “small”, snice they are one of the smaller hound breeds, being basically a miniature foxhound…

    posted by Ed Kolis on 8-19-2010 at 11:14 am

  29. Mine is schnauzer & yorkie. A yauzer? No, a mutt.

    posted by MIKE on 8-19-2010 at 4:55 pm

  30. I think “Labradorgi” sounds super cute! I love making up mixed breed names, such as a Jack Russell Terrier and Shihtzu mix. I call them Jack Shits. (:

    posted by Leah on 8-19-2010 at 10:27 pm

  31. Norwegian Elkhounds are saddled with an insanely poor translation of their native name, Norsk Elghund. Elg is moose, not elk. They’re also incorrectly classified in AKC, being in with typical hounds, but thats another mess. Typical day out with my Elghund
    “Is that an Akita?”
    “What is that mixed with?”
    “Do you hunt elk?”
    She’s never even seen a real elk, but she does give the cows a run for their money when she slips out.

    posted by Michelle on 8-20-2010 at 1:41 am

  32. How about greyhounds?

    They are very, very, very (!) rarely grey, even historically. Rather, the name comes either from being “great” hounds in reference to their size or speed, I suppose, or grace hounds as a group of them is called a grace, not a pack.

    Either way, I love my retired racer, name origins be darned!

    posted by Brandy on 8-21-2010 at 11:51 pm

  33. @J

    Almost correct Rhodesia is a Country, it is now known as Republic of Zimbabwe.

    posted by Elijah on 8-23-2010 at 8:30 am

  34. I have a basset and a Lab, and I’ve never heard a better description of a basset than “lovable” and “big-eared.” :-D

    posted by Siobhan on 8-23-2010 at 4:01 pm

  35. I have recently acquired an 8 week old Australian Shepherd pup. My Black Lab/Spaniel passed away enexpectedly and our Pomeranian was mourning her death. This A.S. is quick and runs fast like a greased pig and loves to herd the Pom. I put 3 stuffed animals on the rug in a row and she looked at them for a minute and then, one by one, moved them into a row on the other side of the carpet.

    posted by sandy on 8-28-2010 at 1:20 pm

  36. mine is a mix of husky-eskie… very sweet personality… working as a service dog…

    posted by cyn on 8-31-2010 at 7:04 pm

  37. My two loves of my life are a Chihuahua & Pekinese oops! They are amazing, cute and intelligent with the apple shaped head of the Chi, the smushed-in face of the Pekes (but not AS smushed), short hair, long bodied short legged 12 & 13 inch high little guys with curled tails. Of course I too get a million queries as to their breed, which prompted me to call them “peek-a-uahuahs!” LOL… best mutts in the world!

    posted by justacrazychic on 9-1-2010 at 12:36 am

  38. Love my German Short Hair Pointer & My Little white hair Bichon

    posted by Marylou Maher on 9-1-2010 at 5:07 am

  39. come on, people. @A’s posting about her labradorgi is clearly tongue-in-cheek. You can’t seriously be taking her seriously?

    collie, from “collier”?

    A friend of mine had a Beaceron. Kindest, gentlest, most loving dog ever.

    posted by equinox on 9-4-2010 at 1:01 pm

  40. oops, message got away from me.

    Beauceron, from “shepherd of Beauce (France)”.

    One of my favorite breeds is the Maltese terrier. Sweet, loving, and calm — not yippy like some other small dogs.

    posted by equinox on 9-4-2010 at 1:10 pm

  41. Does anyone else think that someone on the Simpson’s writing staff must have owned a Bouvier des Flandres…?

    posted by Bikrchik42 on 9-6-2010 at 4:00 pm

  42. I have a Jack Russell x Corgi mix which makes him a Cojack. He is also scientifically formulated to be awesome even though he has a lot more hair than Kojak ever did…

    posted by Raptor_J on 10-7-2010 at 3:55 pm

  43. Really good article. It was cool to get to know these dog breeds :)

    posted by Timi on 10-13-2011 at 10:36 am

Comment

commenting policy